Toshiba PDR-M21 2MP Digital Camera

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [4.95mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 4.5 x 2.8 inches ; 7.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005QVGW
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,803 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Compared to other cameras in its price range, the PDR-M21 pairs a relatively high-resolution 2-megapixel sensor with a simple focus-free lens, making it a good choice for people who don't want many bells and whistles, but still expect crisp, highly detailed images.

The camera's operation is designed to be as simple as possible--just turn it on, aim, and shoot. Focus, flash, and exposure are all set automatically. If you're hoping for more creative control, several settings can be adjusted manually, including the flash mode (red-eye reduction, off, on, auto), white balance, black-and-white mode, and exposure compensation. In addition, you'll find several features very uncommon in an entry-level camera: shutter- and aperture-priority and uncompressed TIFF image recording.

For power, the camera uses four AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. The big benefit to using standard AA batteries instead of a custom proprietary battery is that AA batteries are available virtually everywhere in the world, so missing a once-in-a-lifetime shot due to dead batteries won't be an issue. The downside is that a digital camera will kill a set of alkaline batteries extremely quickly, especially if you're using the camera's LCD display. If you're an occasional photographer, you can get by with high-power disposables, but if you plan to take more than a handful of photos a month, a set of rechargeable batteries (scroll up to our Accessories section) is a virtual necessity.

To compose your image, either look through the traditional viewfinder or use the 1.8-inch color LCD display on the back of the camera. Pictures are stored on SmartMedia cards. The included 8 MB card holds 12 images at the camera's default setting or 1 image in the highest-quality uncompressed TIFF setting. The card is reusable, but if you're hoping to take more photos before returning to your computer to transfer the images, you'll want a larger SmartMedia card.

The camera also includes a 2x digital zoom. This feature merely crops the edges off your picture and blows up the remaining image, enlarging your picture at the expense of image quality. Most photo-editing software will let you do the same thing to your picture once you've transferred it to your home computer, so it's a camera feature that's not often used. If you're looking for a similar camera with a true optical zoom lens, consider the 2-megapixel Toshiba PDR-M25.

The PDR-M21 comes with Image Expert software, an 8 MB SmartMedia card, hand strap, USB cable, and four AA alkaline batteries. The camera is covered by a one-year warranty.

Pros:

• Autofocus lens is superior to fixed-focus lens on many similarly priced cameras
• Advanced features like shutter- and aperture-priority for more advanced photographers
• Uncompressed TIFF mode for the highest-quality photos

Cons:

• No optical zoom
• Included alkaline batteries are only a short-term solution

Product Description

2.1-megapixel sensor captures 1,600 x 1,200 images for sharp prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches Autofocus lens with 2x digital zoom (no optical zoom) Included 8 MB Smartmedia card holds 12 images at default resolution Uses 4 AA batteries (alkalines included)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Price, Great Pictures., May 29, 2002

By 

Jason Drury "dru145" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toshiba PDR-M21 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

My number one criteria for a digital camera was clear pictures. My number two was price. I bought the Polaroid PDC 640 Plus from another online store and returned it after a day. The pictures looked horrible. I decided I was going to have to spend more money to get better quality. I decided to look at the electronic stores locally first and you couldn't buy anything decent for at least [money] and those only came with 8mb of memory max. With Amazon's free 32MB of memory offer, this was an awesome deal. This camera takes excellent quality pictures. I recommend you set it at half-tiff which will give you 22 pics on a 32MB memory card. I might upgrade to a 64MB card eventually, but once I hit 10pics or so I download them to the computer and format the card. On vacation, 22 might not be enough.

Pro's:

1. Quality of pics
2. Price
3. Automatic shut-off timer (saves batteries).
4. Easy to use

Con's:

1. Didn't come with a holder.
2. Pictures take awhile to process.
3. Not all that cool looking.

I won't be returning this one. If you are cheap like me and always looking for a good deal, then go with this camera.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PDR-M21 is an Excellent Buy!, December 26, 2001

By 

"ajbinder1" (Anaheim Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba PDR-M21 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

This easy to use camera takes wonderfully sharp photos, and pictures download easily through a USB connection. Software included is also excellent; many easy-to-use utilities. The screen saver of my digital photos is terrific!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little camera, but where's the mac compatibilty?, April 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba PDR-M21 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

The PDR-M21 is good camera for the money. I got it to connect to my PC and run fine (although the supplied imaging program, Image Expert, crashed my machine occasionally.) But contrary to Amazon's tech specs, this camera is not Mac compatible. Nothing short of installing a SmartMedia reader would get any pictures from this camera to my Mac. Since I'll be pulling the SmartMedia card out every time I want to upload pictures to my computer, I found that card is placed in a relatively inaccesible position under a door next to the batteries. Other than that, the camera is a great starter camera and I would recommend it to anybody who wants a cheap starter digital camera. (Anybody with a Windows PC, that is)